Police Department Changes Name To ‘PoPo’ In Controversial Prank

BATH TOWNSHIP, MI (CBS Local) – Police in Michigan have a tongue-in-cheek message for the community: “Watch out for the popo.”

The Bath Township Police Department, near Lansing, posted a photo of its brand new SUV on April 28 that features the words “POPO” – slang for police – on its doors.

“So as some of you may have noticed, our page has been pretty helpful in connecting us with our community. We’ve found though, that we are still struggling to really reach the younger folk out there. So in an effort to bridge that gap, we’ve decided to update our patrol car graphics in an attempt to be more relatable to the local youths,” says the post caption.

Reaction to the photo was mixed, with some people applauding the apparent community outreach and others saying the move was “racist” in light of controversy over recent police shootings.

Turns out after posting the photo, the department announced the vehicle was all a prank. The department said that their vehicles still all say “Police” on them.